Artificial tooth and denture.



. W. S. G. ELLIOTT, IR.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH AND DENTURE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.20, 1916.

1,209,570. Patented Dec. '19, I916.

WILLIAM SAINT wanes ELLIOTT, m, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ige'eeiste;

Specification of Letter'sP atnt.

Patented nee. M19164 Aiaplication filed Jariuefy 20, 1916. Serial No. 73,134:

To nll'wh'omit may concern Be" it MknoWnthat I, "VILILIAMT SAINT GEORGE ELLIOTT, Jrna citizen of the United States, residingatNew Yorkyin the county of New York and State of New" York; have ini ehtetl certain new and useful Improie I hereby declare that the following is a fuIl,

clear; and eXact description thereof,- refeience beinghacl t0- the accompanying drawings,*which'fcr1n partof thls specificatlon;

This invention is a novel imprbveinent in artificial clentui'esf Itsobj'ects-are to pro": Vide a novel strongand' durable "means for attaching artificial or porcelain teeth td a backinpjbriclge or plate; and to provicle' a simple-form of so callediieinovableteeth for-1 artificial dentures, and one thatisbettei" atlaiotedto modern castingmethods than those new 'in use.

The invei'ition relates-especially to that the-bridge on'plateafter the latter is made amtmay beusecl withwholeteeth; or With only the fronts onvisible' portions'of the secured in place; such attaching 'means he; ing sl'niple, easily meclet very stron and adaptable to nioclern dental requirements.

I will explain the invention, with referenceto the accompanying drawings," so that otherswvill be able to' understand and "use the same; and the essential features and combinations of parts for which I desire protection are set forth in theclanns 40 01: lowlng the description.

IIlSnlCl drawings: Figufel isalongituch nal section of an aftificial cuspicltoothfceia prising a facing and backing, as attached to aplate or bridge. Fig." 2'is a rear elevation ofth'e facing in Flgwl; Ffigi 3";isa side ele vationof theba'ckinginFig. 1; FigFLis'a front elevation of the"bacliing' in-Fi 1.

vation of the backin' iniug. Fig cletiil sectional vieiv of a "plate oi biitlge' showing hoW the backing may be foi'nietl integral therewith; Fig.

'Sis "a"cletail sectional vlew, slniilai' to! 'g; 7 other slight modification i the invention.

As shown in the drawings the tooth or facingl may beina'cleof orcelain orbtlier suitable material and is flattened onits'reai' face. or part which is attachable to the bridge or'plate; and in saiiclrearportionis formed a preferablyannular groove 3 adapt eclto engage a correspondinglyshaped male member 01' collar on the backing, bridge or plate, as hereinafter exblained. The tooth isalso preferably provided in itsreair With ashallow recess llargei in extent than the diameter of the I'ecess 3'; the exterior rear eclgeof the tooth suri'ounclingsa-id recess 4 bein'g fiat ohits rear face to enable it to be closely fitted against the face of the backing, bridgeor plate'to which the facing'ol tooth is-to be secured; The grooves in the teeth can be very easily and cheaply made of the correct size" during" the forming of such teeth.

The metal backing 2 is lnacle separate from'the toothandcan also bemade se arate-from the bridge or plate iffleiicl and rigidly secured thereto. If thehridg'e" or plate is made of metalthebacking can' be macleseparateand solcleretlthereto; or if the, biidge or plate is castthebacking canbe foi niecl asan integral part of thebi'idge or plate; or united therewith daring tlie *casting op'eration; in the Well known manner. An essntial-patt of the backing is the'malenieniber oicollar 5 which is-shown in the foi nf of an annular collai or'tube chinesbondingi in forin to the gro ve 3, into which meanness the edge of 't-hereai face of the toothito be fittetl clesely and accurately against the backing, bridge or plate; and

a the groove and collar "form a close, perfect and rigid joint between the tooth and back ing briclg eor plate. In ajoint of this he face for adhesion of cement as possible and for this purpose the 'g'roove 3 is shown as prefeiably circular inforni', bu-tl 'do not cbnsider" the invention restricted th a may invention to'obtain as haem amount of thelobpdsetl Walls of'the recess and cellar as 1s practlcal; to enhance the solidity of v engagj menmf the tooth with the boner;

and the form of collar and groove shown insures great strength and rigidity in the connection between the tooth and backing, bridge or plate. The said collar 5 should be made as thin as consistent with safety and should fit neatly in the groove 8; but enough space may be left between the inner surface of the collar 5 and the inner wall of the groove for any surplus cement to escape when the facing or tooth is put in place; suitable openings may be also provided as at 6, in collar 5, to permit excess cement to escape from within the collar into the outer portion of recess 4.

The collar 5 011 the backing, bridge or plate should be located in proper place thereon to suit the particular kind of tooth which is to be secured in place. Thus for a cuspid tooth the collar would preferably be located at about the center of the backing as in Figs. 1-4; for a bicuspid tooth the collar would preferably be located near one end of the backing as in Figs. 5 and 6. It is obvious that in applying the invention to a bridge or plate the number of collars or backings attached to or formed on such plate or bridge should correspond in number and position with the teeth which are to be attached thereto. Where the plate or bridge is molded of rubber or composition or is cast of metal, the collars may be formed of sections of a suitable metallic tubing as indicated at 5 in Fig. 7, and 5 in Fig. 8; which sections can be placed in position in the mold previous to casting or molding the bridge or plate. Vvhere such bridge or plate is cast the inner end of the tube will be welded or rigidly united to the body of the metal, and practically becomes an integral part thereof as indicated in Fig. 7 In actual practice the collar may be about five thousandths of an inch in thickness; and the groove 3 slightly wider than the thickness of the collar, and about one twentiethof an inch deep, the small amount of metal used in the collar is of practical importance when it is made of gold alloy. As the col lar is of annular form it can be made quite thin and at the same time give great rigidity. When a porcelain tooth is properly cemented to such a collar it is practically impossible to remove such tooth without breaking it.

In inventions of this nature the parts are frequently manufactured and sold separately; that is the facings and backings or collars may be sold separately, or in conjunction, but when such parts are sold separately they will be assembled with the other parts by the dentists. The. essential features of the invention are an artificial tooth having a front resembling a natural tooth, a fiat back and an annular groove in the back adapted to engage a similar male portion attached to the backing or denture to secure said facing thereto.

What I claim is:

1'. An article of manufacture consisting of an artificial tooth having a front resembling a natural tooth, and a flat back provided with an annular groove adapted to engage with a similar male portion attached,

to the denture, to hold said facingto the denture.

2. An article of manufacture consisting of a metal backing having an annular metal collar on its front face, adapted to fit into an annular groove in a facing to hold the facing.

3. The combination ofan artificial tooth having a'front resembling a natural tooth and provided with an annular groove in its back; with a supporting member having an annular collar on its front face adapted to enter said recess whereby said tooth is secured to a denture.

4. An artificial tooth having a front resembling a natural tooth, a shallow recess in its back and a deeper groove in said recess; with a plate or bridge and a male member on said plate or bridge adapted to enter said groove to secure said tooth thereto.

5. An artificial denture comprising a support having a flat surface and an annular collar projecting from said flat surface, and an artificial tooth or facing having a fiat back, and an annular groove in said back corresponding with and adapted to engage the collar on the denture, said collar having openings for the escape of surplus cement.

6. An artificial denture comprising a support having a flat surface and a male member projecting from said flat surface; and an artificial tooth or facing having a flat back, a shallow recess therein and a groove in said recess corresponding in contour with and adapted to engage the male member.

7. An artificial denture comprising a support having a flat surface and an annular collar projecting from said flat surface; and an artificial tooth or facing having a flat back, a shallow recess therein, and an annu lar groove in said recess corresponding with and adapted to engage the collar.

8. An artificial denture comprising a support having a flat surface and an annular collar projecting from said fiat surface; and an artificial tooth or facing having a fiat back, a shallow recess therein, and an annular groove in said recess corresponding with and adapted to engage the collar, said collar havingan opening for the escape of surplus cement. V y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature;

WILLIAM SAINT GEORGE ELLIOTT, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). 0. 

